I prefer the old carry handle iron sight set up. I'm not an operator nor do I run 'em hard like so many others do. As mentioned above no batteries to fail at the worst time. Just think KISS carbine. YMMV. tom.

Iron sights serve a purpose, but I see more and more folks who aren't taking their AR to the desert, not using them. Never hurts to have backup though. I just put an ACOG on my POF so I can't really use them due to the magnification. I might put a set on an angle offset mount but haven't decided yet.

I've got backup Irons on mine but you can't beat a decent optic for speed and ease of use. And there are optics that come pretty damn close to Irons such at ACOGs that require no batteries, no buttons to turn on, and have proven to actually stop bullets lol.

Shooting with irons is a lot of fun no question, and every AR owner should know how to hit the broad side of a barn using them.

I have back up iron sights on all my rifles, but all of them have a Aimpoint or magnified optic. You cannot beat the speed and pin point accuracy of red dots, and with Aimpoints failure is very very rare. Can't say that about most other brands of RDS, though.

Shooting with irons is a lot of fun no question, and every AR owner should know how to hit the broad side of a barn using them.

I have back up iron sights on all my rifles, but all of them have a Aimpoint or magnified optic. You cannot beat the speed and pin point accuracy of red dots, and with Aimpoints failure is very very rare. Can't say that about most other brands of RDS, though.

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You jusy had to go there about Eotech huh?

I am just waiting for mine to explode when I turn it on

I (and I think a number of other folks) just prefer the larger reticle of the Eotech. These types of optics are designed to increase speed on target, my old eyes need the bigger one on the Eotech to maximize that speed.

Depends on what I am doing. I do teach irons only courses and have done so for several years as a planned progression of training. IMO this produces higher quality shooters when teaching or reinforcing fundamentals via irons. This goes for newer shooters or even when taking experienced shooters and breaking them down to the basics and rebuilding them. So yes I have irons only set ups.

I will note that during intensive irons only courses, shooters are exposed to a multitude of alternate or improvised shooting positions and scenario's including low / no light etc, that it quickly becomes clearly obvious where irons can be a serious limiting factor in a shooters performance especially in critical use training, scenarios, etc, to include force on force. IMO anyone who uses this platform for potential critical use applications are greatly benefited by having training with and deploying a modern capable red dot / optic.

If you want to go irons only for a retro build or because you don&#8217;t want to spend the money on a quality optic, or if you just want irons, there&#8217;s nothing wrong with that. I&#8217;ve found that it is easier for people to learn irons first.
But the right optic is a superior sighting system. RDS&#8217;s are better in low light. At distance, magnification is always a plus.

I have irons on everything. I also have optics on "go to" rifles. There are a lot of guys who can shoot irons just as fast as optics, as long as it's from favorable shooting stances. Once you talk about shooting on the move, lying on your back or side, etc., that's where red dot optics shine, because you don't need a good cheek weld. Serious situations don't always give you the luxury of shooting from the classic positions. There's a reason that virtually everyone who goes into harm's way for a living uses optics (if available/affordable).

Yes, optics and batteries can and do fail. That's why I have irons and believe that one should be proficient with them. That said, a lot of guys go too far with this philosophy. In prepping for an "end of the world" scenario, you're talking about optics with a five-year battery life. If you're running and gunning a lot in post apocalyptic, nuclear winter, Mad Max land, chances are that battery's life span will exceed yours. If, after five years of post apocalyptic combat, your battery dies, either 1) take a spare out of storage space on your rifle (lots of stocks, VFG's, grips now have storage), or 2) find an extra one. AA batteries are plentiful, and even the CR123's would be around somewhere.

I (and I think a number of other folks) just prefer the larger reticle of the Eotech. These types of optics are designed to increase speed on target, my old eyes need the bigger one on the Eotech to maximize that speed.

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EOTechs are good optics, and I too prefer the EOTech reticle over the Aimpoint dot for longer range shooting. The fact is, Aimpoints are more reliable, durable, and have a longer battery life. The new CR123 powered EOTechs are a huge improvement, though.

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